


A New Spring at Garreg Mach

by Treekianthia



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, F/M, Post-Blue Lions Route (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Years Later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:55:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22521367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Treekianthia/pseuds/Treekianthia
Summary: As he grows older,  Dimitri has become a person who doesn't tend to cry. As he says goodbye to his children when they enter the Officer's Academy, however, he becomes an emotional mess that his wife and friends have to comfort.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Mercedes von Martritz, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	A New Spring at Garreg Mach

Dimitri was not one to cry.

His tears had dried long ago, with him having steeled his emotions after years of being haunted and tortured by the dead. When he did cry, the emotions were so great that he could not control them. The sacrifice of a friend, the weight of the war on his shoulders, and the beauty of his queen as she walked down the aisle… All different things that had happened far apart. It had been so long since then that he had forgotten what the sensation of crying felt like. Even with control over his emotions, crying was the one thing he felt numb to.

...but as he cried loud sobs that fateful day, he remembered what it felt like to let his emotions get the better of him.

It was in the early afternoon, after a few days of travel, that the King and Queen of the United Kingdom of Fódlan and their family arrived at Garreg Mach Monastery. It was the beginning of a new year at the Officer’s Academy, and his two children would be attending together, along with the children of close friends and family. It had been a long time coming, and Dimtri and his wife were preparing to say goodbye.

“I’m so proud of you, Meliae…” Dimitri said as he adjusted the cape on his daughter’s shoulder. She had been selected as the next house leader of the Blue Lions, and wore a uniform slightly similar to the one he had worn over twenty years ago.

“You’ve said that a dozen times by now, father. I’m glad you’re proud of me, but there must be a limit to your pride,” Meliae said as she let her father make his adjustments. Next to Dimitri, Mercedes stood wiping the face of their son with a handkerchief.

“Oh Meliae, he’s just happy to see you having come so far! We’re both very proud of you and Katreus for making it into the academy this year, especially with your brother still being so young,” Mercedes said with a smile. Wrinkling his nose, Katreus tried his best to get his mother to stop rubbing his cheek.

“It’s not like that it was that hard- Mother, my face is clean- Especially since Father has been having our tutors prepare us for this day since we were children,” he said with a bit of annoyance. Putting the handkerchief away, Mercedes stood straight and smiled.

“Your sister is as old as your father was when he started, and you’re just fifteen, Katreus! I think that’s something for your father to be proud of!” the queen mentioned, “And I’m just as proud as he is to see you enrolled!”

Meliae placed a hand on her chest. “I just think at this point, father has gotten his pride across well enough,” she stated. Placing the pin to keep Meliae’s cape in place, Dimitri chuckled lightly.

“A father can never be too proud of children, or worry too much either,” he insisted. “The night I learned you were both applying to go to the academy, I couldn’t sleep! My eyes just wouldn’t stay closed!”

“Eye, father. Remember?” Katreus interrupted almost smugly. Mercedes shot him a look, but Dimitri found amusement in his son’s comment.

“Yes, yes, I couldn’t keep my eye closed,” the king said with a small laugh. Mercedes shook her head at her husband and son’s antics, but went back to smiling as she serenely placed her hands in front of her stomach.

“Your father has also been staying in contact with the head of the academy for the past few months. He and Mr. Hanneman have been writing back and forth to make sure the two of you only continue to have the best education outside of the capital,” she informed her children. Slumping her shoulders, Meliae groaned and rolled her eyes.

“Really, father? You know the officer’s academy already offers the highest of education, yet you go and meddle anyway?” she complained. Dimitri was taken aback slightly by his daughter’s complaints, but he finished adjusting her cape despite it.

“I just want what’s best for you and your brother, Meliae,” Dimitri explained as he crossed his arms. “Do you really blame a father for wanting that for his two children?”

Meliae pouted slightly as she raised her shoulders back up. “No, but it would be nice if you didn’t always try to use your status as King to ‘better’ things and acted like a normal father once in a while. You don’t see Uncle Ferdinand use his ties as a noble to get Francesca, Ansel, and Ive better education, do you?”

Dimitri let out an awkward cough. His daughter didn’t know how wrong she was. “...actually, your uncle Ferdinand helped me keep contact, much to your Aunt El’s annoyance,” he admitted. Meliae groaned again and placed her hands on her face.

“I thought Uncle Ferdinand was smarter than that… Or that Auntie El had at least had a bit more control over him,” she mumbled into her hands. Frowning slightly, Mercedes placed a hand onto her own cheek.

“Now, Meliae… I’m sure you’re able to thank your father for everything he’s done for you,” she said. “Even if you find it a bit annoying, he’s only doing it because he loves you.”

Meliae let out a sigh. “...thank you for trying to do what’s best for us, father,” she grumbled out. Starting to smile, Mercedes turned to her son.

“And you, Katreus?”

Nodding, Katreus stood up straight. “Thank you for trying to further our education, Father,” he thanked. “It must be tough running the entirety of the Kingdom and being a father, but I appreciate everything you do for us.”

“Thank you, Meliae, Katreus,” Dimitri said with a smile. “It makes me happy knowing that my children are going to get the best education and are grateful for it.”

Huffing, Meliae threw her hands down. “I’m going to go talk to my friends before this gets any worse. If you need me, I’ll be in my classroom,” she said with an annoyed tone. Before Dimitri could stop her, she quickly turned and headed off to the Blue Lions classroom. Her cape and blonde hair blew in the wind behind her.

And then there was a laugh.

“She really does take after you, doesn’t she?” Mercedes asked her husband while stifling another laugh. Looking at his wife in disbelief, Dimitri tried his best to defend himself. 

“She certainly does not get that from me! I would immediately thank anyone who was doing something to benefit me!” he claimed. Mercedes covered her mouth and laughed again.

“You can both be so stubborn, you know? You’re both so insistent in where you stand that you butt heads, but at the end of the day, you love each other dearly,” Mercedes insisted. Dimitri looked at her with his mouth agape, shocked by the fact that his wife was calling him stubborn. Next to them, their son shook his head.

“I think I’m going to go join Meliae in the classroom,” he said before shuffling off in a hurry. Dimitri watched as his son went to join the other Blue Lions, then let out a long sigh.

“Problems with being stubborn aside… They really have grown up, haven’t they, Mercedes?” Dimitri asked his wife as he stroked his beard. He noted he needed to shave it soon, or else he’d look less like his father and more like Claude.

“To think it feels like only yesterday that Meliae was starting her tutelage and Katreus was just barely able to talk,” Mercedes commented as she took her husband’s free hand. “I can’t believe they’re already joining the academy…”

“And by this time next year they’ll have graduated, and Meliae will start preparation to one day take over the throne…” Dimitri added on. He squeezed his wife’s hand tightly, and he felt himself growing a bit emotional. Noticing, Mercedes smiled and took out her handkerchief.

“Oh dear, you’re crying..” she said as she went to wipe his tears. Dimitri placed his hand on his cheeks, and could feel that he was indeed starting to cry. He hadn’t expected it to happen.

“I just… I’m just so proud of them, Mercedes…” Dimitri said as more tears began to fall. He wasn’t sure Mercedes’ handkerchief would be enough to dry them, and instead covered his face with the fur of his cape.

“There, there, let it all out…” Mercedes soothed as she went to hug her husband. Soon, Dimitri’s tears turned into full on sobs, and he hugged his wife in return as she rubbed his back.

“My strong little girl and smart little boy are all grown up…!” he said while sobbing. Mercedes quietly shushed him in order to try to calm him down, but Dimitri’s sobs only grew louder.

“And they’ll keep growing up, but we’re always going to be there for them, dear…” Mercedes assured her husband. “When they get married, have kids of their own, we’re going to be there….”

“I j-just don’t think I’m ready for that yet…” Dimitri admitted. He wasn’t one to normally be this sensitive, but something about saying goodbye to his kids for the year was making him emotional. He was probably causing a scene.

“Oh great, the boar is crying,” a familiar voice said from nearby. Looking up from his wife’s shoulder, Dimitri saw Felix with the rest of the former Blue Lions standing nearby. Sylvain and Ashe had big grins on their faces, while Dedue, Annette, and Ingrid had gentle smiles. Felix, meanwhile, was scowling like he always did, which wasn’t surprising.

Sylvain placed his hands behind his head. “To think the King could be reduced to tears just by saying goodbye to his children!” he teased. “If I had cried, Dorothea surely would have called me out on it!” Ingrid, standing next to Sylvain, pinched his arm to get him to shut up and continued to smile and Dimitri.

“It’s okay to cry, your highness. Even Ashe got a little teary eyed when saying goodbye to our daughter. Being emotional is normal when parting with your kids,” she promised. Ashe nervously scratched his cheek, but nodded nonetheless.

“It’s a lot to take in all at once, but we know we can always visit if we start to miss her,” he pointed out, “And even if you two are the rulers of all of Fódlan, you can still make the time to visit your children, can’t you?”

Mercedes wrapped her arm around her husband’s. “Of course! We can always make time in our busy schedules to make sure our children are doing alright!” she said in order to assure her husband. Dimitri felt himself relax a bit, but he was still a bit of a sobbing mess.

“Plus, we can always go together!” Annette added on as she latched on Dedue’s arm. “Our younger five would love to see their big brother and sister learning at the academy anyway!”

Dedue gave Dimitri a nod. “If your Highnesses ever wish to take a break and see their children, we will happily go along with you,” he said. Dimitri let out a small sniff, but managed to smile brightly.

“Thank you, Annette, Dedue. I would enjoy that,” the king said softly. “And thank you to everyone else as well.” There were smiles all around him, though Felix was still scowling.

“Tears were never a good look for you anyway, Boar King,” he said. “Though I can’t be too annoyed with you, since Bernadetta was a sniveling mess knowing she had to say goodbye to our son for now.”

Dimitri continued to smile. “You probably shed a tear for him too, didn’t you?” he suggested in hopes of getting a reaction out of Felix. The younger man shook his head, and instead of speaking just waved his hand. 

Glad to see her husband calming down, Mercedes let out a small laugh. “Come on, let’s go make sure they’re settling in with the rest of the class,” Mercedes suggested as she took Dimitri’s hand. Dimitri gave her a slight nod, and followed her as she led the way...

And luckily for him, he only cried again once, much to his children’s dismay.

**Author's Note:**

> So originally this was going to be part of my 1k fic collection, but it ended up being 2k instead since the 1k version was.... Really bare bones. There's still a few things I think I would change in order to be completely satisfied with this, but it's getting the point where I just want to be done with it so I called it good. I think it's cute enough for what it is!
> 
> At least I was kind enough to edit it and not use the Glenn tag???
> 
> I have a weakness for second-generation AUs, so I've been developing one over on my twitter for my own self-indulgent purposes. I have a few kids designed so far, but only a few are actually colored and posted! There's also an original fourth house and a bunch of OCs beyond that, but I just stuck with canon for this fic. It makes things less messy. Really you'd have to follow my twitter for everything oops.
> 
> Other than that yeah!! Hope y'all enjoyed this!


End file.
